What happened
On 29 December 2016, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-BPAY, was involved in a ground collision at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The incident occurred at approximately 14:50 UTC during a private flight. After completing the landing phase, the pilot was taxiing the aircraft between two rows of parked planes when the left wingtip made contact with the propeller spinner of an unoccupied, parked PA-2 and. The impact caused damage to the wingtip fairing and the left wing's leading edge of the moving aircraft, as well as damage to the stationary aircraft's propeller spinner. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the taxiing maneuver and the layout of the airfield. The pilot reported that the low position of the sun created glare, which hindered the ability to accurately judge the distance between the wingtip and the parked aircraft. Additionally, the pilot noted that the spacing between the rows of parked aircraft was narrower than what is typically experienced at the airfield.
Further inquiry revealed that the airfield operator utilizes varying distances between rows of parked aircraft as a strategy to manage surface wear; when the ground is soft, the rows are positioned differently to prevent uneven erosion of the airfield surface.
Findings
- The collision was caused by a misjudgement of clearance between the aircraft wingtip and the parked propeller spinner.
- Low sun glare contributed to the pilot's difficulty in assessing the gap.
- The specific arrangement of parked aircraft at the time of the incident provided less clearance than usual due to ground maintenance practices.